Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Begging: It is a tricky issue.

This was published as a letter in the New Zealand Herald today Thursday, 4 July.

Begging, like child prostitution, is an awkward issue for people
to discuss. It is emotive and brings out the best and worst in people’s thoughts.
Some see it as an industry and some folk see them as bludgers.
To others they are victims, many of whom have mental health and other health issues.
Few believe that these people are employable and many of us who get to know them
a little understand that there are bigger issues involved. Some of these people
were actually servicemen.
We have lost two of these people in Ponsonby and Krangahape Rd
in the last two years. Both Margaret and Robbie had well attended funerals and all
who attended were surprised at how normal their lives had once been.
Others, like Wellington’s Blanket Man, slowly died of malnutrition
over many years. Some cried for him but many didn’t notice or care.
To address this issue it is best managed by agencies, the councils
and the central government. Local communities live with street people every day
and Central government and City Hall may have the solution in their hands.
Benefit changes last year tightened the access to some
benefits which may well have been responsible for a lift in the numbers of
people begging and involved in child prostitution. There is anecdotal evidence
that many of these teenagers selling themselves and the people begging are no
longer eligible for benefits that they previously had.

With Councillor Casey and other prominent
Auckland citizens on Thursday night I’m sleeping rough to highlight the big
issue of homelessness and to raise funds for Lifewise (bigsleepout.org.nz) who work
to alleviate the problems of the homeless and find a sustainable solution. Check out Gerry Hll fundraising on this site.